This is a dated 2026 observing guide. Check the source calendar and local conditions before making plans; future years need a fresh forecast.
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The night to choose
NASA and the International Meteor Organization’s calendar agree on the Leonid peak. It falls on the night of November 16 into 17, 2026. Activity runs from November 6 to 30. Plan for the hours after midnight into the morning of the 17th.
We attempted a live re-fetch of imo.net and the American Meteor Society’s site on 8 September 2026. Both remain offline after a reported cyber attack. NASA’s own Leonids page confirms the same peak night independently. That is why this page cites it directly alongside the existing catalog.
The Moon reaches first quarter on the same date, November 17, at about 50% illumination. It sets around midnight, so the darkest, most useful hours fall after that, into dawn.
Find the Sickle of Leo
The radiant sits in Leo, near the curved “Sickle” asterism that traces the lion’s head and mane. It sits close to the bright star Regulus. Leo rises late in the evening and is highest before dawn.
You do not need to stare at the radiant itself. Watch a wide area of sky, ideally away from the Moon’s glow while it is still up. Let meteors appear on their own.
Ordinary years and storm years
NASA describes a typical Leonid rate as modest under a dark sky, well below the shower’s reputation. The catalog benchmark used here gives a ZHR of about 15. That is an idealized figure for perfect conditions, not a promise for your backyard.
The Leonids are also famous for storm years. Earth then crosses an unusually dense part of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle’s debris stream, and rates spike into the thousands per hour. Those storms follow the comet’s own 33-year orbit and are not expected in 2026. Most years are quiet, and this is one of them.
Leonid meteors are among the fastest of any shower, striking the atmosphere at roughly 70 kilometres per second. Fast meteors often leave short, bright trails rather than long, slow streaks.
A late-night, patient plan
Set an alarm for after midnight rather than starting at dusk. The combination of a higher radiant and a set Moon makes the pre-dawn hours the more useful window.
Bring warm layers; late November nights are cold in much of the Northern Hemisphere. A reclining chair and a wide, dark patch of sky matter more than any equipment.
Use SkyLumi to find Leo and Regulus before you go out. Then put the phone away and let your eyes adapt. It does not predict individual meteors or notify you when the shower is active.
Sources and image credits
- NASA: Leonids. Peak night, activity window, typical rate, radiant and meteor speed, fetched 8 September 2026.
- International Meteor Organization: 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar. Activity window, ZHR benchmark and radiant coordinates, Table 5 and Table 6. A live re-fetch was attempted 8 September 2026. imo.net was offline after a reported cyber attack. The ZHR and radiant figures cite the edition already reviewed for this catalog on 6 September 2026.
- US Naval Observatory: Moon phase and illumination. Moon phase and illuminated fraction on November 17, 2026, fetched 8 September 2026.
Written for beginners from the sources above. How we research and correct the library. Found an error? Tell us.